


Is That Healthy?

by WastedSanity



Series: Letters In Colors [1]
Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Abuse, But I'm lazy, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, I really need to edit this, Mentions of Rape, Neglect, Romance, Some Humor, Soul mate, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-20
Updated: 2016-12-08
Packaged: 2018-08-10 00:04:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,145
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7822477
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WastedSanity/pseuds/WastedSanity
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>I really wanna delete this but I won’t xD It reminds me of how crappy my writing was ;0</p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>Timothy Drake doesn't think much of his mark.</p><p>He certainly finds the colors unusual, but that was because everyone's was usually just one color or it was in darker shades, but his was so vibrant that his parents would show it off every chance they got. The words, 'Is that much coffee at one time healthy?' Was written in elegant script on his hip and was unreadable until just after his eighth birthday.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Tim Drake

**Author's Note:**

> Obviously, I don't own.
> 
> And after reading so many of these stories, this idea popped up in my head and I was kinda just like, 'I gotta write this!' So yeah. Don't judge me. 
> 
> I haven't written anything in a longgggg time, so I'm a bit rusty, but meh, I enjoy torturing Tim. Huehuehue.
> 
> Anyways, IGNORE ME JUMPING FROM LIKE THIRD PERSON TO FIRST PERSON! I DON'T KNOW WHY THAT HAPPENED. 
> 
> And also, THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT, I haven't read through the timeline in a long time so I'm pretty sure there are A LOT of things that are messed up here, so yeah. I suck.
> 
> Kay. Enjoy!

Timothy Drake doesn't think much of his mark.

He certainly finds the colors unusual, but that was because everyone's was usually just one color or it was in darker shades, but his was so vibrant that his parents would show it off every chance they got. The words, 'Is that much coffee at one time healthy?' Was written in elegant script on his hip was unreadable until just after his eighth birthday.

At four years old his parents decided to stop babying him. They would get angry at how he was acting and send him up to his room all the time. When they would leave on their trips they would tell him to stop with his childishness because a child is useless to the world. He stopped playing with the majority of his toys and asked his nanny to teach him how to read and write. He didn't want to be useless.

His parents had explained the concept of 'Soulmates' to Tim at the age of five. When he had gathered enough courage to actually approach them and ask what it was on one of the rare days they were actually home, his mother spoke simply and quickly when she explained it. "Those words on your hip are the first words your soulmate will say to you. It's how you find them." His mother said, sounding a bit annoyed, and he nodded, giving her his thanks, before heading back to his room without making a sound. It was also at this age that his parents began yelling at him, telling him that he better quit acting like a child. When they left on their next trip Tim put all of his toys in the trash besides the polar bear doll that he slept with named 'Alexander Einstien the Great', or 'Alei' for short.

At the age of six Tim learned a very important lesson that he told himself to never forget.

He had come down with an awful fever at school that he thinks he had caught from his nanny that dropped him off and he had been sent to the nurse's office, prompting her to call his parents. When they said that they would not be able to get home for a day, and Tim told the nurse his nanny was sick, she called the emergency phone number listed and his godfather, Bruce Wayne, had shown up and was forced to take care of him until his parents picked him up the next day. Although he had said that he enjoyed seeing Tim and having him stay there, Tim knew it was a lie. No one enjoyed being around Tim. It was the reason his parents were always yelling at him, why they were always gone, the reason he barely had any friends, and why he got a new nanny so often. No one could stand him.

On the bright side, he got to see Dick and he was so happy to see his idol he couldn't help but hug him, though he apologized immediately after he did so and Dick had laughed and said it was fine and had helped him get back to bed when he began wobbling. While he was there he kept quiet about the fact that he knew they were Batman and Robin.

His parents had picked him up the day after and had been angry with him for making them come home. They told him that he needed to stop being so selfish and grow up. They left right after he was better and his nannies never came back. Tim learned one of the most valuable lessons of his childhood through that experience. Sometimes parents had to choose between their kids and work, and Tim knew how much his parents loved their work, so he vowed to never have to bring them home. Whenever he was sick and they were away he tried his best to never let anybody know because then they would have to call his parents and in the meantime he would become a burden to Mr. Wayne, and he didn't want that. Groceries began being delivered to the door once a week and Tim threw all of his coloring books and pencils away, with the thought in mind that they were too childish.

At the age of seven Tim doubted that anyone would want to be his soul mate. His classmates would whisper about how boring and serious he was behind his back, and lots of people liked to play tricks on him, and he couldn't understand why he was so different from the rest of the kids, the way he was was the way his parents wanted him to be, quiet. Clean. Efficient. While all of the other kids were misbehaving he would sit still and listen to the teacher, and they would call him a 'goody two shoes' and 'teacher's pet'. A few of the kids have even already met their soul mates. He'll see some of the others' marks and wonder why his was so bright while theirs was so dull and lifeless.

Then again, he didn't go to any rich school, he just went to Gotham Elementary with the less fortunate people. But even then, he was happy there, because he was learning.

His parents were home for about three months out of the year and he has hurt himself quite a few times while they were gone, but that was okay, because in the reading room there were medical books about how to take care of it.

Once, when they were home, his father went into his room while he was at school. When he came home his father was furious at his lack of cleanliness and had made him watch as he ripped his last toy apart and demanded that he cleaned up the mess. He picked up all of the pieces on the floor with tears in his eyes and hid them in his room until they left, and he sewed his doll back together the best that he could with only a book to show him how.

Tim didn't want to lose his only comfort in the suffocating loneliness of that house.

It was just after his eighth birthday, his parents came home and Mr. Wayne was hosting a charity ball that parents decided to go to, and he went along with them.

There weren't many children there, and when some of the adults greeted him they seemed shocked at how formal he was. This was something that surprised and baffled him because weren't all children supposed to be formal? He would hold conversations with them for a bit and they would compliment him on his maturity. He knew it was only because he had read almost every book in their house about manners and etiquette. He had even gone by the public library quite a few times to read some educational books that were at his current level, because you can only re-read middle school text books so many times before you get bored of them. His nannies used to say that his mind was like a sponge that soaked up every bit of knowledge it came across and never let any escape.

As the night wore on he saw Dick and happily talked with him for awhile before Mr. Wayne had Dick stand with him to make his speech. After awhile Tim began to get exhausted and thought of asking his parents if they could go home before immediately tossing that thought aside. His parents were probably having a good time and if he ruins it then they'll get mad and yell at him and he hates the yelling. So he snuck away from the party and wandered around a bit before finding a type of formal living room and laying down on a couch, immediately falling asleep after doing so.

He woke up afterwards and panicked, not recognizing his surroundings, before he remembered what had happened and immediately sat up, causing the blanket that was on him to fall down to his waist. He blinked and looked around, realizing that this was not the living room he had fallen asleep in. A new surge of panic flooded him as he climbed off the bed, only to realize that the bed was higher up than he thought it was and he ends up crashing to the floor. He doesn't make a noise of pain, he just sighs before his eyes catch his clothes and they widen. Someone had changed him into pajamas! He immediately springs to his feet and makes his way to the door. How could he have been so stupid? He had burdened Mr. Wayne with his childishness! He shouldn't have fallen asleep, he should have behaved like an adult would and stayed awake. Now he was troubling Mr. Wayne and Mr. Wayne must be furious at him for imposing. He quickly made his was out of the room and wandered through a lot of hallways before coming to some stairs and descending them, his bare feet never making a sound as he moved.

He reached the bottom and wandered a bit again before entering a huge kitchen, where Alfred was currently cooking. He didn't seem to notice me until I tugged on his pants. He gasps and quickly looks down at me, one hand over his heart. "Master Timothy! You gave me quite the fright." He says and I look down, ashamed at having caused the nice man so much trouble. "I apologize for my rudeness Mr. Pennyworth, I did not mean to frighten you." I say and there's silence for a second as I stare at the floor, thinking he must be angry and is bracing myself for the yelling, when he kneels in front of me and places a hand on my shoulder. "It is quite alright. You were probably startled as well when you woke up in an unfamiliar place, my apologies for taking such actions without your permission, but when Mr. Wayne called your parents when we found you after the party, they were already on their way to Egypt for their next dig." He explains and I let out an intelligent "Oh" and Mr. Pennyworth stands up again to resume his cooking. "If you wish to eat, breakfast will be ready shortly, Master Timothy. Though I do not know what you prefer so I have made many things I hope you will find to your liking." He says and I feel heat flood my cheeks in my embarrassment. No one should have to cook for me. I can do it on my own, I have been doing it on my own for a long time. I just give him a shaky nod and stammer out a thank you before quickly escaping through the doorway I entered from.

Or, at least I tried to.

His small frame runs into another person and before he knows it, someone's hands are on his shoulders, stopping his fall. Blinking in surprise, he looks up to see Mr. Wayne steadying him. "Tim? Are you alright?" The man asks and I nod quickly. If mother or father could see him now, they would scold him on his lack of attentiveness and manners.

He releases me from his hold and straightens up a bit. "Good. Are you hungry?" He asks that that surprises me because he didn't scold me for my lack of manners. I would question it, but I hated the yelling so instead I just nodded again, mentally cursing myself for my stupidity. Mr. Wayne had let it go once, but twice was too much to ask for.

He just smiles at me and leads me over to the countertop, where there are barstools.

I attempt to climb onto one, but I've always been shorter than other kids my age. Suddenly I'm being lifted up and sat onto the chair, though because of how short I am my chin is just barely above the counter.

"How did you sleep?" Mr. Wayne asks me once I'm seated and I nod. "I slept well, thank you for taking care of me." I says and he just smiles and waves me off. "Nah, that was all Alfred, I just dug around for some old pajamas." He says and I blush in embarrassment. "I am sorry for inconveniencing you. I should return home." I say and I start to climb off of the chair before he stops me. "Didn't Alfred tell you? Your parents left last night. Unless you have a nanny, you can't go home." He explains and I tilt my head a bit. "Why not?" I ask an his eyes widen a bit. "Because children aren't supposed to be home alone." He says and that confuses me even more. "But I am by myself all the time. I know how to take care of myself, so I can go home." I say matter-of-factly and his eyes narrow, making me freeze. Have I done something wrong? Is he mad at me? Of course he's mad at me! He's going to yell at me!

"Tim," he starts, a serious expression on his face, and I hesitantly meet his gaze. "Are you home alone when your parents leave?" He asks and I nod, causing him to take a sharp in take of breath. "How long has it been like that?" He asks and I look away, not wanting to meet his gaze. "It's only been two years." I say and he looks angry. As he rubs his face with his hands. He opens his mouth to say something when two boys burst into the room laughing.

I stare at the new boy for all of two seconds before my attention is on my idol, who's running over and wrapping me up in his arms. I let out a squeal and he just grins and continues to spin me around. He finally sets me down and the world is spinning. "Dick? Who's that?" I ask, my attention now on the other boy, and Dick just grins, throwing an arm around his shoulder. "This, babybird, is Jason! He's my new brother!" The acrobat exclaims happily and the boy- now known as Jason- grumbles something about not being related to someone so hyper and I have to hold back my laughter, settling for a smile as I approach him. "It's nice to meet you. I'm Timothy Drake." I say formally and he's a bit shocked for some reason, but he shakes my hand anyway. "Jason Todd." He says and I nod and turn back to Mr. Wayne just as breakfast is announced.

In no time everyone's in the dining room and eating, and I'm amazed at how much food there is. I take small portions of a few things, wanting to leave enough for everyone else, and Mr. Wayne keeps looking at me. Did I do something bad? Is he mad at my impoliteness? Questions swirl through my head and I keep my gaze averted and I reign in my emotions, making my face blank. When I do this Mr. Wayne seems a bit shocked, but he doesn't comment.

After breakfast Mr. Wayne tells Dick and Jason that he wants to talk with me and they nod, leaving.

I keep my face blank as I stare up at him. "Mr. Wayne, have I done something bad?" I ask him and he shakes his head with a sigh. "No, Tim, you haven't done anything bad. It's your parents that have." He says and I'm shocked, but he continues, "Tim, parents aren't supposed to leave children home alone. It's not safe and not to mention illegal." He says and I tilt my head, letting my confusion show on my face. "Does that mean I can't go back home?" I ask and he sighs. "No, Tim, you can't." "Oh." Is the only thing I could say as I register this.

"I need to take care of some things. You can go play with Jason and Dick if you want, or there are some games or coloring things." He says and I nod, "I'll go find Jason and Dick." I say before excusing myself from the table and thanking Mr. Pennyworth for the meal.

The next day his parents were called back and were supposed to be arrested, but they had too much power over the police and got off with only losing him, much Bruce Wayne's annoyance. Tim ended up staying with his Godfather and Dick and Mr. Wayne seemed really happy that he was there, which was odd, and Jason said that he was his little brother.

When everyone saw his words they marveled at how bright they were and laughed at what they said. Dick's words said 'I didn't think people could bend that way.' written in blue and black on his ankle and Jason's read 'That's an interesting response' In red on the back of his neck, and Mr. Wayne didn't reveal his, but Tim knew that they were written on his lower back.

His ninth year of life was one of the strangest to him.

He was moved to Gotham Academy, Dick and Jason declared themselves to be his big brothers, and Mr. Wayne made sure he stayed home when he was sick, which was weird. He also went into Tim's house to get his bear, the only thing Tim wanted from the house. His parents got to visit him twice a year and after they would he would hear the others whisper about how awful they were.

Mr. Wayne took them to amusement parks and dinners and movies and so many other things and Tim found it mind blowing how much they actually cared about him.

They also told them about their superhero lives, and were shocked to find that he already knew. They began training him- much to Mr. Wayne's dislike- but he only let it slide because they wanted Tim to be prepared and able to defend himself.

When he was ten, he was still adjusting to his new life, and would often shy away from overwhelming shows of affection. Dick also found his soul mate, Barbara Gordon, and since they were 16 they just started dating.

About two weeks after his eleventh birthday, Jason died.

It hit them all hard, Bruce especially, and life was sad for a long time. Dick had already become Nightwing and was in Bludhaven with Barbara to fight crime there. He realized that Batman needed a Robin after seeing how ruthless he was getting, and he made Bruce let him become his Robin.

His twelfth birthday came and went.

After his thirteenth, they found out Jason was alive.

When he was fifteen, his parents were murdered, and later on Bruce adopted him officially.

It all passed quickly after that, Damien coming and living with them, him finishing high school, Bruce dying, causing him to become Red Robin and run Wayne Industries, and then Bruce came back and he started taking college courses. And along the way he, funnily enough, became addicted to coffee. Something Jason liked to tease him about.

And then, on a day that started out perfectly normal, he heard it. The words that made his heart skip a beat and his stomach do flips. "Is that much coffee at one time healthy?"


	2. Katherine Grace

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I created this oc and her backstory, but I don't own batman stuff. (duh)
> 
>  
> 
> This one isn't nearly as long as the first one, but I wanted to show Tim's abuse in the stages that it happened. Of course, I tried to do the same with Kat, but she didn't go through stages of closing off her childhood,because her personality is naturally bright, so she tried to push through everything. And her mom was there, supporting her, and Tim didn't have that, so yeah. Tim didn't have anyone. (And for some sick reason I love it)
> 
> I also had to keep it short because I wanted the next chapter to be about their meeting, I didn't want to have a short third chapter, and I didn't want you to have no idea about their back stories, so I did this, and it was actually really fun. 
> 
> Okay, I've ranted a lot and probably no one cares about this note so whatevs. Enjoy!
> 
> Don't hate me.

Katherine Grace was ecstatic about her mark.

Her mom would gush over the beautifully colored and elegantly written words on her left collarbone that read 'Sadly, I doubt it.' It was a simple phrase, and she wondered what she would say to incite such a remark.

She's led a pretty normal life in a bad part of Gotham, and while there were things she wishes that she could change, she loves her life.

She's the youngest of six kids, and her dad left not a month after she was born. Her mom's tried her hardest to keep them out of drugs and gangs, but her two of her brothers fell victim. Her oldest brother, Matthew, was her mother's pride and joy, he got good grades and got a scholarship to a good college when she was six.

That was also when he started going into her room at night.

She knew it was wrong, she didn't know how, but she knew that she should tell her mother, but she was so happy that her son was getting a good life, and it would have ripped her apart to know that he went into her daughter's room to do those things, so Katherine remained silent about it and never told anyone, and no one ever found out.

She had cried herself to sleep countless times, had begged him to stop, but he would just say how good she was a good girl and would ignore her pleas as he held her down. He would leave her gifts sometimes, when he knew she was distraught, but this continued until she was eight. 

He never spoke about it, and neither did she. But then he decided that he was going to be cruel to her, so about a year later, almost every night before her bedtime if she had done something he didn't like during the day, he would call her to his room and ask her why she did it. If she didn't give the answer he wanted he would hit her, and her other siblings wouldn't think anything of it because people were always wrestling. That's what happens when you have four boys and two girls in one house. Even if she didn't go to his room, he would go to hers, and she never wanted him in there ever again.

He moved out when she was sixteen and she had been so happy because she couldn't stay in the same room with him- alone or with other people- without wanting to run away as fast as she could.

Her oldest sister, Jessica, was off living with her boyfriend a few hours away, her oldest brother shared an apartment with two other guys in a decent area in Gotham, the third oldest, Josh, fell in with gangs along with Sean, the fourth oldest, much to her mother's dismay. Nathan, the one closest in age with her, went to a college a few hours away.

She finished High school with the highest grades in her class and got a four year scholarship to Gotham City College. 

When she eighteen years old, they found her birth father dead in an alleyway. Josh and Sean hated and blamed her for it, saying that she was the reason their father was gone, but she just ignored them and focused on comforting her mother.

She was nineteen and in her second year of college when she applied at a coffee shop in the nice part of Gotham- near her school- and when she got the job she was practically jumping for joy. 

And after three months of working there, on a beautiful winter day, she asked a question and received a reply that made her heat beat faster and her eyes shine in excitement and happiness.

"Sadly, I doubt it."


	3. A date sounds nice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Boom! Done!
> 
> I still don't own, obviously.
> 
> Anywho, there'll be little one shots about their relationship, meaning I'll be jumping around a lot, and I am completely open to suggestions, and I already have a few ideas I'm planning on doing.
> 
> So, without further delay from a note that probably no one reads, Enjoy!

Tim can feel the cold nip at his nose as he makes his way to the little coffee shop, as its on his way to work anyway, and he just did a big test at the college, so he needs his daily fix of the addictive black liquid.

People are probably wondering why he's going to college if he already had a good job, but one, he's in his final year and will be done in the spring, and two, he likes to be prepared.

Though right now he felt as if he was about to crash. And since he just came from the college, he decided to go to the little coffee shop nearby and grab some.

When he opens the door he is immediately assaulted with the scent of coffee. He places his order and waits as the older lady prepares the three large cups of coffee. Just then a girl, looking about nineteen, comes out of the back carrying a box. "Hey Beth!" She greets the older lady who smiles at her, "Kat, did you just get here?" "Yep!" While she's making the third cup she looks at him with a smile, "So is all of this for you?" She asks and he smiles a bit and nods, causing her to laugh, but the other girl, Kat, (or Katherine, as her name tag reads) just looks stunned. "It that much coffee at one time healthy?" She asks him and his breath catches in his throat because 'She just said my words.' Though he knows he needs to return words so he tries to keep his composure and shrugs. "Sadly, I doubt it."

Now she looks stunned as she turns to him from where she was refilling things. The woman, Beth, looks confused before it seems to click and then she's grinning and bouncing in her place. 

"You're..." she whispers and he just smiles at her, causing her to smile back. "Hi." He says and she's grinning like the Cheshire Cat. "Hi! I'm Katherine Grace, but you can just call me Kat! It's nice to meet you!" She says as she practically bounces around the counter and shakes his hand. "I'm Timothy Drake, but I prefer people to call me Tim. It's nice to meet you as well." He says and her grin somehow gets wider. "This is so exciting!" She squeals and I just smile a bit shyly. And then the bell above the door rings and someone enters, making her look around before turning back to me. "I, ah, actually have to get back to work, but I get off at six, so if you're not busy maybe we could..." She trails off nervously and I just smile at her. "Yeah, I can come by and we could go have dinner. There's a great diner near here." He says and she just nods with a grin on her face. "Great! See you later Tim!" She says before going back into the back of the store and he's still smiling as he grabs his coffee and walks out the door.

\---------------

When she hears the bell chime, signaling his departure, she heaves a sigh of relief as fear courses through her. What if she was too forward? What if he was annoyed? Will he reject her as a love interest? 

Her friend Ellie's soulmate did that, and Ellie has told her how much it hurts. 

She blames Matthew for her acting like this, for secretly fearing people's reactions because she's so afraid to get hurt again. Logically, she knows it's stupid, but she also knows that it probably won't go away.

She sighs and rubs her face. 'Get it together Kat! This is your soulmate!' After mentally cheering herself on the excitement of finding her soul mate comes back full force and She can't help but squeal with joy. 

It also may be because he's really hot. His black hair looked a bit messy from the wind and his eyes looked like they could put the sky to shame. He also looked like he worked out, but he wasn't over-the-top bulky, he was more lean, which she was thankful for, as she's never been attracted to huge muscles.

She walks out of the back and begins restocking again, absentmindedly humming a song. "Soo?" Beth asks and I look at her in confusion, "Soo?" I repeat and she just laughs. "Kat! You found your soul mate! Aren't you excited?" She asks and I grin, blushing a bit. "Of course I am! I'm just a bit... Scared. My friend's soulmate rejected her as a love interest, and while I know that it won't stay that way, it's kind of scary." I say with a sigh and she just laughs a bit. "Hun, I saw the way that boy looked at you when you said his words, and I'm pretty sure the last thing on his mind was rejection. What was his name again?" She says and I blush.

"Tim. Tim Drake." I say and she gasps and I turn to her. "What?" "Do you know who he is?" I blink and look at her, wracking my brain for answers. I know it sounds familiar, but I can't place it. "No?" I say and she just pats my shoulder as if she pities me. "Kat, that boy is the adopted son of Bruce Wayne and heir of Wayne Enterprises." She says and I can feel my eyes widen as the bell chimes and another customer enters. 

"You're kidding." I say as she's greeting the customer and she just points to the tv in the corner on the wall. I turn and look at and I can, in fact, see that they are talking about Tim. Though I blush when I see that the caption is 'The Number One Bachelor In Gotham.' I groan and bury my face in my faces. "Does this mean I'm gonna be all over the news?" I ask and she laughs. "Probably."

\---------

As he enters the Wayne Enterprises building he can still feel himself smiling. He decided to work for a few more hours before six, so right now he's in the elevator on his way up to his office. 

The elevator comes to a stop and he exits, turning down a few hallways before he comes to his office and scans his eye on the machine and types in a pass code before the door makes a sound of success and he enters the large room.

He walks over to his large desk in front of the window that is covered in papers and sets down his coffee with a sigh of dread as realization hits him.

Dick is going to kill him for not calling right away.  
He takes out his phone, examines it, sends a text, and then puts it away. 

He begins on his work but his mind keeps wandering to her. She is beautiful, with light brown hair that reaches her lower back and captivating green eyes that look like fields of green are trapped within their depths. And he's trying really hard not to think too much about how perfect her body is, because that makes him feel creepy, but he has noticed how thin and frail she looks, something Alfred would definitely be determined to remedy. 

With a sigh he finally he finally turns to his computer. He's not going to dig into her life, but he is curious. So he pulls her up and he has to admit he's impressed.

Her dad was out of the picture, leaving a single mother with six children to raise in one of the worst parts of Gotham and only two of them fell off the radar. He also sees how she's gotten the best grades in her class and got a scholarship to the same college that he's taking classes at. He sees her criminal record, of lack of one, and he is happy.

So, once again, he turns to his work and this time actually focuses on it.

Though he ended up turning his loud phone off.

\-----------------

When six o'clock rolls around Kat is extremely nervous. Beth had left around three, wishing her luck, and Danny had come to take her place.  
"You're kidding." He said and I just shake my head. "No. I had the same reaction when Beth told me who he was." I saw and he shakes his head in disbelief. "How did you not know who he was? I thought every girl in Gotham knew who Tim Drake was." He says as he hands the customer his order and I shrug, spinning on the barstool a bit. "I don't watch tv." I say plainly and he looks at me, "There's a tv right there. Like, ten feet away from you." He says and I send him a mock glare. "Ha ha. You know what I mean." I say and he grins at me, raising his hands in defeat as he takes another customer's order.

"So, when are you guys gonna meet up?" He asks and I blush a bit. "Um, he should be here any minute, actually. We're supposed to go to a diner near here." I explain and he's grinning again. "Ohh, that was quick." He says and I blush again. "Yeah, well, whatever." Is all I say and the bell chimes again. Looking over, I see Tim standing there in casual clothes (minus the expensive looking winter jacket) and holding a single red rose. 

I can feel my face light up when I see him and I get off of my seat to go over to greet him. "Hey! Ready to go? I'm starving." I say and he smiles, holding the rose out to me. "This is for you. I, uh, hope you like roses." He says and I just grin and accept it from him. "Thank you so much! And I love roses, they're my second favorite flower." I say and we start walking towards the door when I twist around, "See you later Danny!" I say before I open the door, and Danny grins at me as he begins to make another drink for someone. "Bye Kat! Don't do anything I wouldn't do!" He yells and I blush and bury my face in my hands with a groan "That doesn't rule out much!" I shout back and I can practically hear his smirk when he replies "That's the point!" and I hear Tim starting to laugh.

"It's not funny!" I say to him but he just keeps laughing as we turn onto another street. His laughter dying down as we walk down the the stone sidewalk.

"By the way," he starts and I look up at him curiously, "you said roses were your second favorite flower?" He asks and I smile at him. "Ah, yeah, Carnations are my favorite. Probably because when I was little me and my best friend had tea parties that we always called the 'Carnation Tea Party' it was fun. We would have gusts and interview them, seeing if they would make a good CTP member. We had this book that we wrote everything down in, and we- oh, sorry, I'm rambling." I apologize quickly, my face heating up and he just smiles at me. "No, it's fine. I enjoyed listening to you talk." He says and my face heats up even more. "How old were you when you did that?" He asks and I smile softly, remembering that harsh time in my life where she was the only one I actually let know that something was wrong, how we would get her mother to make us tea and bake cookies that we helped frost. 'Adult tea parties have hot tea, but this is much better.' She would say as she poured the cold tea into our pretty glass teacups. "Seven." I answer softly after a few moments before shaking my head a bit. Focus, Kat!

"And now that I think about it, we had a pretty advanced system." I say and we begin talking about different things as he guides me down a few streets until I can see a diner coming up.

"How is blowing up an entire desk 'no big deal?'" I ask after he explains his adventures in chemistry. "Well, I'll admit it surprised me, but no one was harmed. Besides, I figured out what I did wrong and I didn't do it again. I would say that is just as important as success." He says and I laugh. "I guess so. My mom always said she learned best by trial and error." I say as we walk over to the door. He grabs it and holds it open for me, making me smile. "Thank you." I say and he just smiles back.

I follow him as he makes his way over to the hostess and once her eyes land on him her face lights up as she smiles at him. "Hello! What can I do for you?" She says flirtatiously as she bats her eyelashes at him and for some reason I feel a rush of anger, but I manage to stay composed as I examine her. She has a pretty, heart shaped face with blonde hair thrown up into a cute messy bun, and only adding to her appeal are her body and perfectly done make-up. 'I could take her.' the thought is so sudden and surprising that I immediately focus on Tim because I have no idea why I'm suddenly thinking of slapping this girl.

"I called ahead, my table should be under the name 'Drake'." He explains and she nods, looking at her list. "Yup! If you'll follow me." She says and begins walking, putting an extra sway in her hips as she leads us to a booth next to the window and lays the menus down. "Enjoy." She says with a wink towards Tim and she glances over at me and I give her a death glare, causing her to stumble back a bit and pale before quickly rushing off.

Smiling brightly, I silently pray that Tim didn't see that, and I turn to see him looking out the window, and I follow his gaze to see a family smiling and laughing. I can see that he's lost in his thoughts and I frown.

"So..." I say as I look at menu and he turns back to me. "I've never been here before. Any recommendations?" I ask and he looks over his menu along with me. "I usually get the steak when I come here." He says and I look at it on the menu, not showing any emotion when I see that it's one of the more expensive things on the menu. I look over at the breakfast items and spot the stack of pancakes that is a lot cheaper than the steak and I'm sold. "I like steak, but I also have an unnatural obsession with breakfast foods." I say and he smiles at me before our waiter walks over and greets us and takes our orders before walking off with our menus.

"You would willingly put tomatoes on a salad?" I ask him, scrunching up my nose and he just looks at me with a raised eyebrow. "They're good for you." He says simply and I huff. "You sound like my mom." I say and he smirks a bit. 

Okay, I definitely need to point out how hot he is.  
"Well, is that a bad thing?" He asks and I purse my lips in a thinking manner before shaking my head. "Nah, as long you don't start telling me to eat tomatoes. We'll have a problem if that happens." I say simply and he laughs a bit. "Well, I don't think I'll be doing that." He says and I smile. "Then we're good." 

"Hm..." I say, trying to think of something to say. I hate awkward silence. "Do you prefer chocolate or vanilla ice cream?" I ask randomly and he looks like he did not expect that at all. "Vanilla, you?" "Vanilla of course!" I say with a grin and he smiles back, "Coffee or Tea?" He asks and I smile at our little game, "Tea, but sometimes coffee is good too." I reply and he huffs in a mix of disbelief and disappointment. "What?" I ask and he just looks at me. "Coffee is definitely better." He states and I laugh. "Judging by the amount of the stuff you got today, I would hope you'd like it. Hmm... Tacos or burritos?" I ask and he just smiles, "Tacos." 

This game goes on for a while, us debating different subjects now and then, until we're finished with our food. "Alright, I'll just leave this here." The waiter says and I grab my purse as Tim looks at the check. "How much was mine?" I ask as I pull my wallet out but he just shakes his head. "I've got it." He says and I lean over to grab it from his hand, but he pulls his hand out of reach. "Tim, I'm paying for my meal." I say and reach for it again, but he just pulls it further away. 

"Katherine, I would appreciate it if you would let me do the common action of paying for my date's meal." He says and I sit back with a huff. "I don't want you to, though." I say and he just smiles as he pulls out some cash and places it on the check, standing up and slipping on his coat. "Can I at least-" "No." He cuts me off before I can even finish and I sigh as I close my purse and pull my coat on before following him out the door. 

Once we're outside I breathe in the cold air, immediately missing the warmth of the diner. "Thank you... For dinner." I say and he smiles at me. "You're welcome." He says and I blush because he is amazingly attractive.

"We should definitely do this again soon. Well, different things too, but still." I say, rambling a bit. "We should. Though I do think I should at least have your number." He says and I blink, before digging my phone out of my purse. "Oh! I completely forgot! Here." I say and hand him the phone and let him put his contacts in before he hands me his and I do the same. "There! Now we can call anytime!" I say happily and he nods, smiling. 

"So, which way is your house?" He asks and I blush, "You don't need to walk me home. I'm perfectly fine by myself." I say and he raises an eyebrow at me. "This is Gotham. You do know that, right?" He asks and I can't help but laugh. "Don't you get all sassy on me." I say with a light slap on his shoulder and he just laughs. 

"You really don't have to, though." I say seriously and he just smiles at me. "I want to." I just sigh at his reply and absentmindedly grab his hand, leading him through the streets of Gotham. We talk along the way, and eventually we get to my house about fifteen minutes later and I pause at the gate. 

"Thank you, for tonight." I say seriously and he smiles at me. "You're welcome." He says and I just smile and step through the gate, pausing before I was fully in and turning around to smile at him. "Goodnight Tim." I say as I enter the yard. "Goodnight Katherine." He replies and I laugh a bit as I shut the gate. "It's Kat!" I yell, even though he can't see me, and I can hear his laughter before I enter the house.


End file.
